California's Stem Cell Agency

Heart disease is the leading killer of adults in the Western world. Hundreds of thousands of people in the US die of heart failure of sudden cardiac death each year. Largely, this is because inadequate therapies exist for the repair or treatment of the diseased heart. Our goal is to develop a means to efficiently convert pluripotent stem cells, including induced pluripotent cells (iPS cells) into new heart cells that could be used therapeutically to help regenerate healthy heart tissue. The results of our studies will help develop new technology that is likely to contribute to the California biotechnology industry. Our studies will develop technologies that can be used by biotechnology companies and researchers who wish to develop regenerative medicine therapies in a clinical setting. We are working closely with California companies to develop new microscopes, assay devices, and analytical software that could be the basis for new product lines or new businesses. If therapies do come to fruition, we anticipate that California medical centers will be leading the way. The most important contribution of this study will be to improve the health of Californians. Heart disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity, resulting in billions of dollars in health care costs and lost days at work. Our goal is to contribute research that would ultimately improve the quality of life and increase productivity for millions of people who suffer from heart disease.